Tennis Betting

With millions of players and over one billion followers around the world, tennis is the most popular individual sport of all time. As its season runs throughout most of the year and includes a vast range of tournaments, tennis provides betting fans with hundreds of opportunities to earn cash. They can do that at the nearest betting shop or at dozens of online sportsbooks, which offer even more bets at very competitive odds.

Before betting their money on tennis, however, fans of this amazing sport should educate themselves on the game itself, the current trends and leading players, as well as on the variety of sports betting sites that focus on tennis. As it has a long history, spanning over centuries, playing and watching tennis has become a favorite pastime for millions of people of all nationalities, generations, and social standing. The rules of the game have not gone through major changes since the end of the 19th century, which allowed it to become a truly universal professional sport over the next several decades.

Today, tennis is in the elite of team and individual sports and the top-ranked players are considered among the greatest athletes in the world. Due to the immense popularity of the sport, betting on it has also exploded in recent years, especially with the rise of online sportsbooks. In order to stay competitive, bookmakers are now trying to offer the best odds on hundreds and thousands of tennis markets. In an attempt to make their offering even more tempting to bettors, they even give free bets, deposit bonuses and plenty of other promotions.

With this in mind, bettors who wish to bet on tennis and be successful in the long run should carefully choose where to bet at. There are numerous betting sites on the web but only some of them are great for betting on this sport. And the bookmakers that provide true value for their odds and seamless user experience are even fewer. In the article below, we have outlined the most important factors that determine whether an online platform is good for betting on tennis or not.

Features of Tennis Betting Sites

Tennis gives millions of fans plenty of great opportunities to turn their hobby to their advantage and gain financially from their knowledge and the hours spent in front of the TV. But it is not just fans of the sport who can find betting on it rewarding and exciting – thanks to the relative simplicity of the game and the fact that all major tournaments are constantly aired on TV, bettors can easily familiarize themselves with the basic rules and start with the most fundamental bets.

Before that, they should find an online sportsbook that is reliable, secure and is suitable for placing bets on tennis tournaments and matches. There are several specific features good sites for tennis betting should possess.

Major Tournaments and Events Coverage

The first thing is, of course, the events coverage. All major sportsbooks that recognize the popularity of tennis offer bets on the largest events during the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour calendar. Of course, the most popular events for betting are the four Grand Slam tournaments, the four most important annual tournaments in tennis, namely the Australian Open, the French Open (also known as Roland-Garros), Wimbledon in London, and US Open.

The second-tier tournament in the men’s circuit, ATP Finals, is also covered by many sports betting sites. Of course, bets on the largest women’s events can also be found online – the WTA Finals, the Premier Tournaments, and the different International Tournaments. Other popular tournaments include the Davies Cup, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, the Fed Cup, Indian Wells Tennis Masters, and others. Luckily for tennis fans, some of the leading sports betting sites offer bets on these exciting events that run throughout the year.

Each of these tournaments is played on a different surface, which is among the essentials in tennis betting – some players are known to be almost indestructible on clay, while others are almost equally good on grass, red clay, and hard courts. Still, bettors should always take into account the type of surface at the venue as it requires different playing strategies. It can also mean a disadvantage for the favorite. All these are essential to the development of a good betting strategy, for which statistics play a pivotal role.

Statistics and Tips

Sportsbook customers, especially casual and less experienced bettors, are always advised to stick to either the Grand Slam tournaments, the Davies Cup, or some other tournament. In addition, they should look at the stats and current rankings of players in order to make correct predictions. This is why it is better to opt for a betting site that provides tennis news, stats, and rankings.

Apart from the court surface, there are other things to consider – whether the player usually wins or loses against a certain opponent, whether the player is better at a certain time of the year, whether the player typically wins or loses the first game or set, etc. All these would be instrumental in seeing certain patterns or trends. Many betting sites have blog-like sections where along with the hard stats, bettors could only look for guides on betting, news, articles concerning the form of a player, as well as tips from professionals.

Additional Features

There are several other sportsbook features bettors should take into account when choosing a site for tennis betting. They include the variety of markets and bet types offered, as well as their value. Some bookmakers always try to give the best odds in order to attract more customers, as well as useful offers such as free bets on tennis events or the option for punters to close or change their bet after the match has already started.

Good betting sites offer not only live betting but also live streams of sporting events. In this case, tennis fans should opt for a sportsbook that offers free live streaming of the biggest tournaments such as the four Grand Slam tournaments, for instance. Certain website features such as design, functionality, mobile compatibility, and overall appearance are also important. All the major sportsbooks also feature a live chat and 24/7 support, a multi-currency and easy-to-use Cashier system, as well as interface in several different languages. Some sites come with a convenient Bet Slip that can be “pinned” for easy access from every section of the sportsbook.

Odds Types at Tennis Betting Sites

Bookmakers use odds to show the probability of a specific outcome in a sporting event. But less experienced punters often do not know that the odds actually show bookies’ expectations and the money they are willing to pay to those who make correct predictions. That is why betting fans should be able to see the value in odds – sometimes, the potential reward is disproportionately higher than the risk associated with a bet.

To be able to spot good odds, however, they should first understand them. Odds come in several different formats, usually depending on which part of the world the betting operator is based. Even though tennis is popular all around the world, its odds are often displayed as decimals or fractional odds. The decimal format, most commonly used across continental Europe, displays the total return of a winning $1 bet. To calculate the total return, you simply need to multiply your stake to the odds number – if you bet $20 on a player with 2.50 odds to win, your potential return would be $50 ($20×2.50). Subtract your initial stake and your net profit would be $30. Here, we can easily calculate the implied probability by dividing 1 by the odds and multiply it by 100% – (1/ 2.5)x100, which is 40%.

The fraction is the other common format for tennis odds and it is almost exclusively used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This type of odds express the net return from a winning $1 bet in a fractional form – the decimal 2.50 odds are equal to 6/4 (3/2). To calculate the net return with these odds, you need to divide the first number in the fraction by the second one and then multiply that by your stake – 1.5x$20, which is $30. We have the probability after dividing the second number by the total of the first and second number and multiplying all this by 100% – 2/(3+2) x 100, which is 0.40×100, or 40%.

Mobile Support

Mobile betting has exploded in the past few years as more and more people are accessing the Internet directly from their devices. Phones are becoming increasingly powerful and necessary for everyone who wants to be connected and up-to-date even on the go, so from our everyday life they have already entered into the entertainment and betting industry. Most major and minor sportsbooks have mobile platforms that are as easy to use and as functional as the original desktop sites.

But for some of them, mobile compatibility is not enough and they come up with much better solutions such as sites optimized for mobile use and native mobile apps. Interestingly, there are no long huge differences between the native sportsbook apps for iOS and Android and the mobile-first website design. With both, customers can sign up and deposit directly from their mobile device, place bets and even watch live streaming of various tournaments in HD quality.

Common Tennis Bet Types

One of the things that have contributed to the rise of tennis betting in recent years is, certainly, the vast range of bet types offered by bookmakers. Their customers can make various predictions – who will win the Wimbledon or the US Open, who will win the first set in a match, who will score the most aces in a tournament, etc. With live betting offered by almost all major sportsbooks, customers can choose from even more types of bets.

Match Betting and Outright Bets

The simplest and most straightforward way to wager on tennis is with match betting. With this bet, punters can either back the first or the second player to win the match. But there are many more betting opportunities for those who look for more exciting and rewarding ways to bet on tennis.

Outrights are just as simple – with these bets, sportsbook customers simply pick the player whom they believe is most likely to win the entire tournament. This type of bet does not offer huge payouts but the risk is also very low, as there are usually two or three favorites for the title and bettors do not need to wait for an entire season to see who will win. Unlike in most of the other popular sports, tennis tournaments last up to two weeks and it is easier to make correct predictions.

Handicaps and Totals

Handicap betting is very popular for tennis wagering and is basically the same as spread betting in other sports. With this type of bet, you bet that a player will perform better than a certain expectation – typically, handicaps are available on games and sets. For instance, you can bet on player 1 (-2.5) to score less than 2.5 games than player 2, or on player 2 (+2.5) to win by more than 2.5 games.

Totals or over/under bets are quite similar to the handicap but here, you bet on the number of sets or games played in the match. For instance, in a best-of-three-sets match, the bookmaker can offer two options – that the match is won by either less (-2.5) or more (+2.5) than 2.5 sets. If you place an under bet (-2.5), this means that the match must be won by 2.5 sets or less – as we know, tennis does not have 0.5 sets, so the winner must score a maximum of 2 sets in order for your bet to win. If you place an over bet (+2.5), you predict that it would take any one of the players to win all three sets to win the match.

In-Play Betting

Many other types of bets are available on tennis events, but one of the most preferred ways to wager on this sports is live betting, also known as in-play betting. It gives customers even more opportunities to make some cash by placing bets after the match has already started. Most sportsbooks offer various types of bets in their In-Play sections, including betting on the winner of the match and in each game, on the correct score, handicaps, and many more.

Bettors will notice that the odds may change over the course of the match, depending on what happens in each game and set. Good betting sites would offer match and set statistics, as well as live streaming of many of the tournaments. Usually, the live feed can be accessed for free by all registered customers directly on the sportsbook platform, but some sites also offer access to TV coverage from separate websites.

Payment Solutions at Tennis Betting Sites

The payments – their security, speed, and convenience, are one of the most important things every bettor should check before even registering at a particular betting site. Good, reliable sportsbooks offer free and instant deposits and fast withdrawals that are usually processed at a small fee. There are usually certain payout limits customers should consider, as well – as a major sport, tennis is associated with bigger stakes and relatively high payout limits.

Leading bookies usually put the cap at $500,000 for outright winners in the biggest tournaments in the ATP tour, for instance, while when betting on less popular events, you would be able to win up to $25,000 or $50,000. It is always recommended to check the payout limits for the different markets and tournaments before placing a bet. It is also crucial to select the right payment method, so you do not need to pay any additional fees.

Betting sites offer most of the traditional payment methods such as bank transfers (online banking or wire transfers) and credit or debit cards. Wire transfers are quite slow for depositing and withdrawing, taking anything from a day until your deposit appears to two weeks to cash out your winnings. Online banking, on the other hand, is much faster and deposits are almost instant but sometimes, the transactions might be canceled by the bank.

Credit and debit cards by internationally accepted brands such as Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Diners Club International are much more commonly used for betting online. With any of them, you can top up your sportsbook balance within seconds and withdraw your winnings within 3 to 5 business days. Although this method is incredibly secure, many bettors are not willing to share their credit card details with sportsbooks.

Often, they use e-wallets as a faster, more convenient, and more reliable alternative. Digital wallets such as Skrill, Neteller, or PayPal are fairly easy to use and function just as wallets, but with electronic money. They allow the customers to load them up with funds or to link them to a credit/debit card or bank account for tiny fees (if any, at all). Then, users simply deposit and withdraw via them in a safe, incredibly fast, and reliable manner – deposits are instantaneous, while withdrawals may take anything from 2 to 48 hours.

Another great alternative to credit cards and bank transfers are the instant bank transfer services offered by the major sportsbooks. These services are quite different from each other – some require separate registration and others do not but work basically the same way. They act as an intermediary service, conducting financial transactions from the customer’s online bank account and the betting site. Their availability, however, depends on the country of residence of the customer and the most popular of them include Trustly, Klarna, iDEAL, Interac, Euteller, Citadel, iDebit, and Instadebit.

Prepaid cards and virtual vouchers are also a good option, especially for those who wish to fund their sportsbooks immediately. Several prepaid payment services have gained popularity among the gambling and betting community, including ecoPayz, Paysafecard, and Entropay. These prepaid options are among the most reliable and most secure banking methods for gambling, but unfortunately, they cannot be used for withdrawals.

Security at Tennis Betting Sites

Security should be among the top priorities of sportsbook operators as real-time financial transactions are conducted on their websites. In order to make sure that the betting site is safe and secure, bettors should check whether it uses an encrypted connection through TLS/SSL protocols. All major sportsbook sites have URLs starting with https, which is preferred for online security. The digital encryption helps sites keep their customers’ data private and protected from unauthorized access.

Before registering an account at a particular betting platform, tennis fans should also make sure the bookmaker has the legal right to offer online betting services. All legitimate, well-respected betting operators hold a license from a state or international regulatory body like the Gambling Commission in the United Kingdom or the Malta Gaming Authority. They also have special Responsible Gambling policies and measures in place in order to provide bettors with various self-exclusion or betting control options.

Hallmarks of a Good Tennis Betting Site

Sports bettors who decide to wager on tennis would not only have fun with some of the most competitive tournaments in the world of sports today but they would also have plenty of opportunities to earn money. They need to look for an online sportsbook that is geared specifically towards tennis betting and has a wide range of tennis markets on offer. European and UK-based bookies feature some of the best odds and tend to offer many betting markets, especially during the Grand Slam tournaments.

There are other sports betting sites, however, that pay special attention to tennis. In order to choose the best for them, bettors should compare their prices, the variety of bets, and their promotions. Many sites have tempting special offers during the biggest events such as winnings boost on select markets, quick cash-out in live betting, etc. They usually offer sign-up bonuses, free bets, as well as loyalty programs that may make your time there worthwhile.